th Andreas
Osiander. Restored to Saalfeld, not without opposition, in 1552, he
remained there, still engaged in controversy, till his death on the 12th
of November 1560. He was twice married, and left four sons. He published
numerous sermons, a few Old Testament expositions and some controversial
tracts.

See G. Kawerau, in A. Hauck's _Realencyklopadie_ (1896); _Allgemeine
deutsche Biog._ (1875); Lives by J. Avenarius (1718); J.G. Hillinger
(1731); Chr. Schlegel (1737); Fr. Gensler (1816).

AQUILA, SERAFINO DELL' (1466-1500), Italian poet and improvisatore, was
born in 1466 at the town of Aquila, from which he took his name, and
died in the year 1500. He spent several years at the courts of Cardinal
Sforza and Ferdinand, duke of Calabria; but his principal patrons were
the Borgias at Rome, from whom he received many favours. Aquila seems to
have aimed at an imitation of Dante and Petrarch; and his poems, which
were extravagantly praised during the author's lifetime, are
occasionally of considerable merit. His reputation was in great measure
due to his remarkable skill as an improvisatore and musician. His works
were printed at Venice in 1502, and there have been several subsequent
editions.

AQUILA, a city of the Abruzzi, Italy, the capital of the province of
Aquila, and the seat of an archbishop, 2360 ft. above sea-level, 50 m.
directly N.E. of Rome, and 145 m. by rail. Pop. (1901) town, 18,494;
commune, 21,261. It lies on a hill in the wide valley of the Aterno,
surrounded by mountains on all sides, the Gran Sasso d'Italia being
conspicuous on the north-east. It is a favourite summer resort of the
Italians, but is cold and windy in winter. In the highest part of the
town is the massive citadel, erected by the Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de
Toledo in 1534. The church of S. Bernardino di Siena (1472) has a fine
Renaissance facade by Nicolo Filotesio (commonly called Cola dell'
Amatrice), and contains the monumental tomb of the saint, decorated with
beautiful sculptures, and executed by Silvestro Ariscola in 1480. The
church of S. Maria di Collemaggio, just outside the town, has a very
fine Romanesque facade of simple design (1270-1280) in red and white
marble, with three finely decorated portals and a rose-window above
each. The two side doors are also fine. The interior contains the
mausoleum of Pope Celestine V. (d. 1296) erected in 1517. Many smaller
churches in the town have similar facades (S. Gi